pH means “hydrogen potential”.
(The carbon dioxide comes from the lungs during exhalation. Carbonic acid is a weak acid and is therefore in equilibrium with bicarbonate in solution. When sig- nificant amounts of both carbonic acid and bicarbonate are present, a buffer is formed, because they neutralize each other.)
Under normal circumstances, there’s much more bicarbonate present than car- bonic acid (the ratio is about 20:1). Metabolism produces more acids than bases. It produces acids (even in a balanced body), but the alkaline blood is able to neutralize them. Since relatively small amounts of metabolic bases are produced, the carbonic acid concentration in the blood can afford to be lower. Since car- bonic acid isn’t stable in aqueous (water)
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The Alkaline Types
Excess daily intake of foods too alkaline for your metabolic type causes cellular membranes to become too permeable, allowing free radicals and toxins to enter, which hinders normal nutrient intake of and waste excretion.
A healthy pancreas produces bicarbonate to neutralize stomach acids and pro- vide a pH environment for pancreatic enzymes to be effective in breaking down food. Bicarbonate acts as a buffer to maintain normal acid levels.
By definition, metabolic alkalosis is increasing levels of bicarbonate ions. The or- gans involved in the regulation of acid/alkaline balance are the lungs and kid- neys. The lungs excrete CO2 (respiratory acid) with every breath, so any change
in respiratory rate can cause shifts in CO2, raising pH.
The kidneys reabsorb filtered bicarbonate, the acid buffer, and excrete excess acids, a normal metabolic process. What causes a body to become too alkaline?
• Over use of sodium bicarbonate and/or other antacids can lead to metabolic alkalosis. As excess bicarbonate is absorbed, CO2 levels